Separator for ore, coal, &amp;c.



Patented .my 25, i899.

Nu.l 629,591.

F. PAHDEE.

. SEPARATUB FOB URE, COAL, &c.

(No Modeh) livel?? Q' f 75L/7%@ UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANK PARDEE, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEPARATOR FOR OVRE, COAL, 800.

SPECIFICATION formingpa'rt of Letters Patent No. 629,591, dated July 25,18S9.

Original application tiled May 1'7, 1898, Serial No. 680,987. :Dividedand this application iiled November 18, 1898. Serial No.

696,761. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t metz/concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK PARDEE, a citizen of the United States, and alresident of Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeparators for Ore, Coal, ttc., of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to machines for separating substances diering inspecific gravity or frictional resistance, the object, being to providea separator which shall be so constructed and arranged that thedifferent kinds of substances subjected to its action will beautomatically divided or assorted.

As the machine illustrated by the drawings l is more especially intendedfor the separation of coal from slate and from bone or pieces of coalcontaining a kind of slate, usually in thin layers, the invention willbe described in that connection, although it is applicable to theseparation of other substances.

When anthracite coal is taken from the mines, it is mixed with more orless rocky substances, usually designated as slate, which contain silicaor other gritty matter possess inga peculiar frictional resistance whenmoving over other solid substances. This resistance is such during thepassage of the mixed substances along the spirals of a centrifugalseparator as to cause the slate and bone to move slower than thepurecoal apart from the difference in velocity due to the difference in thespecific gravity. The coal gliding with more rapidity and meeting withless resistance from the surface over which the several substances aremade to travel passes to the outer edge of the spirals, the bone beingnext and the slate nearest the center. The difference in the nature andaction of the substances makes centrifugal force available for purposesof separation; but that force is not Wholly to be relied upon. Thesubstances must necessarily adjust themselves to their relativepositions, which requires some to cross the course of others andoccasions more or less knocking of the pieces against one another. So,also, the slate or rock, as well as the`bone, at times receives animpact from the substances behind it, which, or the knocking alreadymentioned, gives to pieces of slate or bone a greater impetus than theywould have from the mere force of gravity or of centrifugal action, andunless prevented from so doing such pieces are liable to pass outwardlybeyond the intended limits and become mixed with the coal; but thepeculiar frictional re# sistance which operates against the speed of theslate and bone when moving over another solid surface may be takenadvantage of by mechanical means for overcoming any extraordinaryimpetus which they may receive and which will change their course, sothat such pieces will proceed nearer the center of a spiral Way and comewithin the proper limits beforeemerging from the machine.

For the purpose of attaining the object already stated it is importantthat the physical properties of the different substances to be separatedbe utilized, and the conditions which would otherwise be a hindranceshould be measurably overcome; and to these ends the inventionconsists,primarily, of a machine for separating ore, coal, 85e., bygravitation, centrifugal action, and frictional resistance, comprising asuitably-supported spiral way, forming a floor along which thesubstances pass, an inlet to and an outlet from said way, the inner faceof the spirals being provided with surfaces undulating transversely tothe axis of the spirals, and in the construction and arrangement of theparts, as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a separator or centrifugalmachine having a floor with an incline on the outer part thereof, theplane of which incline, measured from its outer point, lies toward thecenter and toward the outlet, and also provided with undulating surfacesshown in the form of continuous spiral ledges or ways. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of two of the segments thereof, showing the manner inwhich the lower edges of the upper ones overlap the upper edges of thelower ones. Fig. 3 is an edge view of a segment having ridges of aconcavoconvex formation, with the convex side upward, or so that theywill be on the inner face of the spirals when the machine isconstructed. Fig. l is an edge View of a segmenty IOO also an edge Viewof a segment, showing a horizontal iioor or plain surface extending fora certain distance outwardly from the central support andupwardly-inclined spirals having a zigzag formation of ledges whichinterrupt the continuity of the incline on the .floor or some partthereof.

spiral form and constitute an abutment or wall for preventing substancespassing through the machine from escaping or being thrown over bycentrifugal force or action. This outer wall or the larger ends of thesegments are secured to posts or columns O C, as shown.

The several sections or segments are prefcrably formed so that when themachine is constructed thc incline of the floor will have a planesloping or pitched toward the center and toward the outlet. In suchformation the weight of the substances and the centrifugal action willcause them to progress through the machine, and the difference in'specific gravity or in frictional resistance will operate with thecentrifugal force to effect their separation. The incline of the spiralswill have an effect in checking the speed and changing the course of thesubstances having the greatest frictional resistance or such piecesthereof as may from any cause receive an extraimpetus,which mightotherwise cause them to pass so far outward as to bring them beyond theintended limits; but such formation of the spirals is not necessary tothe in vention as I int-end herein to claim it.

In order to furnish an additional guard against the outward movement ofsubstances which should remain near the center and also to guard againstthe inward movement of the substances which should remain on theoutside, but rebound or drop back when striking against the outerabutment or wall el, the segments may be formed with an inner plain parta and with an outer part l), on which are ribs, corrugations, orundulating surfaces, preferably constituting continuous ledges or ways.The plain part a may be on an incline, as shown in Figs. l to 4f, or itmay project horizontally and form a flat floor for a short distance, asshown in Fig. 5, in which case the inclined spiral will be on the outerpart and may be provided with undulating surfaces or ledges, as shown,or otherwise.

The corrugations or otherwise-formed undulating surfaces or ledges ofthe several segments A A are shown as coming into alinetment with thoseof the adjoining segm ents, thus forming continuous passages or ways,

along which the substances coming into them may be conducted to theoutlet of themachine. These segments are also shown as overlapping oneanother by having the lower edge of the upper sections come over theupper edge of the next lower section and by having the lower end'of theouter flange d of the upper section come inside of the upper end of theouter ange of the next lower section, and so on. This construction andarrangement of the segments avoids difficulty in the making of jointsand permits the substances to pass from one section to another with aslightly-increased impetus, owing to the jogs thus formed, and there isalso no liability of lodgment.

` The outlet of the spiral way or floor leads the separated substancesto proper chutes D and E or as many others as may be necessary ordesirable for conducting the assortments th us made away from themachine. It' mixed coal, slate, and bone be fed into the spirals at theopen top or inlet thereto, such substances will whirl rapidly around,and during the passage the gravitation, centrifugal force, anddifference in f rictional resistance will cause the coal to glideoutwardly over the undulations 'formed on the spirals, while the bonewill in the natural course of the operation come next in order and theslate will gravitate nearest the center. The several substances thusseparated will emerge at the ou tlet of the spiral way, from which theymay be conducted by the chutes provided for such purpose, as alreadystated.

It is obvious that the details of construe! tion may be varied and theessence of the invention retained as respects the function of what Iterm undulating surfaces for directing" certain substances inwardly,while permitting others to pass outwardly beyond them, owing to theresistance which materially affects the course of certain substances,but has no such effect on that of others.

I do not herein claim the features of construction of spiral separatorswhich are made the subject-matter of the application filed by me on May17, 1898, Serial No. 680,987, of which this is a division; nor do Iherein claim the features made the subject-matter of the sixapplications filed by me on November 18, 1898, Serial Nos. 696,762,696,763, 696,764, 696,765, 696,766, and 696,767, respectively, to whichreference is hereby made; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A machine for separating ore, coal, dsc., by gravitation, centrifugalaction and frictional resistance, comprising a'. suitably-supportedspiral way forming a door along which the substances pass, an inlet toand an outlet from said way, said door being provided with surfacesundulating transversely to the axis of the spirals.

2. A machine for separating ore,coal, zc., by gravitation, centrifugalaction and frictional resistance, comprising a suitably-supported spiralWay forming a floor along which the substances pass, an inlet to and anoutletl from said way, the floor thereof being provided with continuousledges or Ways extending in the direction of the length of the spirals.

3. A machine for separating ore, coal, &c., by gravitation, centrifugalaction and frictional resistance, comprising a suitably-supported spiralway forming a flooralong which the substances pass, an inlet to and anoutlet from said Way, the floor thereof being coinposed of a pluralityof overlapping alining sections and provided with surfaces undulatingtransversely to the axis of the spirals.

4c. A machine for separating ore, coal, &c., by gravitation, centrifugalaction and frictional resistance, comprising a suitably-supported spiralway forming a floor along which the substances pass, an inlet to and anoutlet from saidway, the floor thereof being com-v posed of a pluralityof overlapping alining sections provided with continuous ledges or ways.

5. A machine for separating ore, coal7 &c.,

by gravitation7 centrifugal action and frictional resistance, comprisinga suitably-supported spiral Way forming a iloor along which thesubstancespass, an inlet to and an outlet from said Way, said floorbeing provided With an incline the plane of which pitches toward theaxis and toward the outlet, said iioor having surfaces undulatingtransversely to the axis of the spirals.

6. A machine for separating ore, coal, rite., by gravitation,centrifugal action and frictional resistance,` comprising asuitably-supported spiral Way forming a iioor along which the substancespass, an inlet to and an outlet from said Way, said floor being providedWith an incline the plane of which pitches toward the axis and towardthe outlet, said floor being also provided with continuous ledges orways extending in the direction of the length of the spirals.

. v FRANK PARDEE.

Witnesses:

A. M. EBY, GUs'r. FISCHER.

